Selectorized weight stack ejecting pin

ABSTRACT

A compact, portable weight stack selector pin for use with exercise equipment commonly known as selectorized weight equipment. This invention will allow the user to pre-select multiple resistances to be used in a controlled descending resistance sequence without the need for the trainee to dismount said equipment to reposition the selector pin or pins during the exercise.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. non-provisional utility patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent Application No. 61/850,332 entitled: SELECTORIZED WEIGHT STACK EJECTING PIN filed Feb. 14, 2013 solely by Steven Lojek

REFERENCES CITED, US PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,610,449 Sep. 9, 1986 Diercks 5,556,362 Sep. 17, 1996 Whipps 2011/0091272A1 Apr. 21, 2011 Wlicoxxson

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the technical field of exercise equipment; more particularly the exercise equipment known as selectorized equipment. The present invention relates to resistance training of skeletal muscles utilizing resistance training equipment consisting of a plurality of equal thickness weights plates arranged vertically using guides and a selector shaft with openings or slots corresponding to weight plate slots able to accept an intersecting pin shaft to secure a selection, commonly known in the fitness industry as “selectorized” equipment.

As skeletal muscles are introduced to greater external loads, such as resistance training, they initially are capable of providing the necessary force but only for a few cycles of motion relative to the load applied until the point of momentary muscle failure. At this point the load is too great for the available muscle fibers to concentrically contract but if the load could be quickly reduced, the same movement could be continued immediately, virtually seamlessly with the same perceived effort to the trainee resulting in more complete muscle fiber stimulation and ultimately greater results.

The equipment known as selectorized equipment introduced decades ago and continuously refined was a great improvement over the barbell in terms of safety, user friendliness and acceptance especially among persons intimidated by free weight usage. For all the advantages and refinement selectorized equipment has over it's free weight counterpart one obvious similarity is: the initial resistance chosen by the trainee will remain static from the beginning of the movement to the point of momentary muscular failure. I.E. One hundred pounds of resistance selected before the commencement of the movement remains one hundred pounds during and at the termination of the movement, unless acted upon by external forces. Momentary muscular failure is the absolute termination point of any resistance exercise if not acted upon by external forces. An assistant could provide assistance with additional movement effectively reducing the load experienced by the trainee or the trainee could cease the movement, adjust the selection of resistance then continue. Both scenarios will further enable the trainee to progress but are not ideal as the former requires additional personnel and a rest period, the later requires the trainee to stop, dismount, adjust the selection, remount then continue the movement resulting in a greater rest period, which is counterproductive but the only options available up to this point by the fitness industry.

Other types of resistance equipment not known to the industry as selectorized equipment may provide the benefits of variable, descending resistance during the movement but consist of equipment outside the manufacture and construction of selectorized resistance equipment. These may be pneumatic, hydraulic, and electronic or any combination of but relies on substantially dissimilar technology to apply and vary resistance and are incompatible with claims made in this specification.

The common method of ejecting a pin from a selection slot is a coiled biasing means, a spring, of sufficient power able to eject the shaft from the selection. An assistant can place a suitably sized coiled spring over a standard selector pin shaft, insert into desired selection of a selectorized weight stack, compress the spring by inserting the shaft fully into the selection and hold it stationary until the trainee commences the movement at which point the assistant can be relieved of this duty. Once the weight stack is returned to the resting position, the pin shaft will eject. The existing problem remains the release methods claimed.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHT SELECTOR listed in prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,449 describe an automatic weight stack selector for exercise equipment employing a timer, and assorted equipment to change weight after a predetermined amount of time. The apparatus described is not portable to a trainee and relies on a timer mechanism with a pre-set time frame to actuate without regard to the trainee's load requirement at any given instant of an exercise.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHT STACK PIN SELECTOR listed in prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,362 describes a weight stack pin biased by a spring of various material and construction that relies on a specific weight stack construction method and material used in manufacture to achieve the desired function of retaining and or release upon command of the trainee. In drawings and descriptions it describes and shows the units consecutively arranged in selectorized weight stacks without the need to skip a selection to allow any portion of a trigger mechanism to enter any unoccupied selection slots. It describes various methods in the attempt of reliable function of the unit but in practice of construction of the described claims it became apparent of the dissimilarity of the claims to the present invention claim.

WEIGHT SELECTING POP-PIN listed in prior art. Patent Application Publication 2011/0091272A1 describes weight stack pin biased by a spring with a trigger catch. Further description of claimed function describes the engagement and release of unit from a weight stack. “Lifting of the stack plates so as to engage the pop-pin against the stack of weight plates and shock the spring from the unstable equilibrium point to set the loaded spring against the weight stack” This description of claimed function of release by shock is arbitrary and as such would not allow reliable, repeatable function or multiple units to be used during a single exercise.

None of the above references claim, either separately or combined the operation of the following claim of operation of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention described as a Selectorized Weight Stack Ejecting Pin can be used with selectorized resistance equipment, of any manufacture or material, which would normally require a trainee to manually insert a selector pin(s) to secure the desired resistance. The present invention, when used in addition to resistance training equipment known as selectorized equipment, once activated will secure the desired selection of resistance when the pin shaft of invention is manually inserted into the desired selection slot of the weight plate and a portion of the trigger latch is able to be inserted into any unoccupied slot of a separate weight plate below the selection. Vertical movement of the weight stack will immediately impose a friction load on the pin shaft and release the trigger latch previously occupying the slot below the shaft. Once selectorized weight stack is returned to the resting position, the mechanical friction imposed on the pin shaft by the selectorized weight stack plates is relieved, allowing the invention to rapidly remove itself from the previously occupied selection as a direct effect of the release of stored energy of the biasing means. This function can be repeated by the trainee in a controlled sequentially descending resistance order by using additional units during the same exercise. The claims of the present invention in construction and use are not dependent on specific materials of manufacture, design of the selectorized weight stack or specialized techniques to be followed by the trainee. It is the intention to create a portable, dependable device that will allow rapid, descending weight change without modification to equipment or additional manual manipulation of equipment once exercise has commenced thus allowing greater variances in resistances used in training sessions than without use of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view and cross section of a typical selectorized weight stack at rest with standard weight stack pin inserted above and an embodiment of Selectorized Weight Stack Ejecting Pin positioned below with a portion of the trigger latch member inserted into an unoccupied opening below shaft.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view and cross section of a typical selectorized weight stack in use with standard pin inserted above and an embodiment of Selectorized Weight Stack Ejecting Pin positioned below in the active position after trigger latch is released by vertical movement of the weight stack.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view embodiment of a Selectorized Weight Stack Ejecting Pin in its inactive position.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view embodiment of a detached trigger latch member.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a detached trigger latch member of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrate the side view embodiment of FIG. 3 in the active position with trigger latch member illustrated in FIG. 4 engaged

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view embodiment of a detached trigger latch member of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of an embodiment in the active position.

FIG. 9 illustrates a front view of FIG. 8

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of an embodiment in the active position employing a trigger latch.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view embodiment of latch trigger member used in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of trigger latch member used in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment in the inactive position.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross sectional front view of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment in the active position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In reference to FIG. 1, selectorized weight stack side view, with device installed below pin¹⁵. Selectorized equipment typically refers to any fitness apparatus utilizing; guide rods¹¹, weight plates¹² with selector slots¹³ which correspond with openings in a selector shaft¹⁴ that passes vertically, perpendicularly through the weight plates¹² and a pin¹⁵ which is inserted into a desired selector slot¹³; intersecting selector shaft¹⁴ which is ultimately connected to various equipment apparatus. Actual dimensions will vary from different manufactures, selector shaft slots correspond to weight plate slots when assembled vertically, material used in manufacture of weight plates is not dependent of device function.

This device is used in addition to the pin¹⁵ used for normal operation but is unlike the standard selectorized weight stack pin¹⁵ used in normal operation of selectorized equipment weight stacks which are designed to stay in the weight stack until manually moved by the user each time resistance is returned to the resting position. When an embodiment of the invention is activated and inserted in selected position on said equipment, with a portion of the trigger latch⁴ inserted into any unoccupied selector slot¹³ below pin shaft², it will secure resistance selected when exercise is commenced. Once weight is returned to resting position, the device will eject itself from selected position to allow exercise to resume at next predetermined selection. This can be repeated if additional devices are used or a pin¹⁵ remains. In reference to FIG. 4, the device consists of; body¹; retains 1^(st) end of biasing means⁵ at minimum, is allowed to travel freely along pin shaft² and is commonly known as the live end. Pin shaft² of sufficient dimensions and mechanical properties to support resistance selection chosen when inserted into unoccupied selector slot¹³. Attachment end³, described 2^(nd) end of pin shaft²; and 2^(nd) end of biasing means⁵, maintains 2^(nd) end of biasing means⁵ commonly known as the dead end. Trigger latch⁴, once body¹ is moved toward attachment end³, stores energy of biasing means⁵; preventing body¹ from traveling freely along shaft² away from attachment end³ until desired. Trigger latch⁴ can be attached to pin shaft², biasing means or remain an independent member, as referenced in FIGS. 4 through 12. When biasing means⁵ is compressed and trigger latch⁴ is set, a portion of trigger latch⁴ extends beyond body¹, and is able to enter any unoccupied selector slot¹³ beneath pin shaft² position, as referenced in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, biasing means⁵; of sufficient power to remove pin shaft² and related assembly from selector slot¹³ but not to overcome friction of selector shaft¹⁴ and weight plate¹² when in use, provides stored energy repelling body¹ and attachment end³. Included illustrations show a compression coil spring but can be of magnetic, pneumatic, hydraulic, electro-mechanical power source to achieve the biasing action but at greater cost and complexity and beyond the claim listed. In reference to FIG. 1, use of device: body¹ is moved toward anchor end³ compressing biasing means⁵; trigger latch⁴ is positioned to retain biasing means⁵ in a stored energy position maintaining body¹ and attachment end³ relative position. Pin shaft² is inserted into desired selector slot¹³; a portion of the trigger latch⁴ is inserted into an unoccupied selector slot¹³ below pin shaft² In reference to FIG. 2; Once exercise is commenced; weight stack is vertically moved up via selector shaft¹⁴, moving selected weight plates and invention vertically up. A portion of trigger latch⁴ previously captured by weight slot¹³ below causes the release. At this point the trigger latch⁴ is released and no longer retains biasing means⁵ or maintains body¹ to anchor end³ relative position. Pin shaft² is immediately held in position by the friction of selector shaft¹⁴ moving vertically up and weight plate¹² moving vertically down; holding pin shaft² in position; maintaining relative position of body¹ and anchor end³. Depending on constructed embodiment, trigger latch⁴ may fall free of device assembly or remain attached to any portion of body¹, pin shaft² or biasing means⁵. Device will stay in position until weight is returned to resting position, releasing stored energy of biasing means⁵; allowing anchor end³ to move away from body¹ removing pin shaft² from selector slot¹³ and selector shaft¹⁴ allowing additional devices or pin¹⁵ vertically above this position to engage selector shaft¹⁴ inserted into corresponding selector slot¹³ and resume exercise. In reference to FIG. 8 shown is a side view, FIG. 9 is the face view of device with trigger latch⁴ constructed of a suitable wire formed to intersect pin shaft² through a corresponding opening through the pin shaft² at a position where biasing means⁵ is compressed and a portion of this wire form trigger latch⁴ is able to enter an unoccupied opening below pin shaft². In reference to FIG. 10, shown is side view of device with trigger latch⁴ constructed to fit into a groove formed into pin shaft² at point where biasing means⁵ is compressed and able to enter an unoccupied opening below shaft². In reference to FIG. 13, shown is device with side view of body¹ completely enveloping biasing means⁵ with longitudinal slots⁶ positioned on body 180° apart, allowing attachment end³ connection to trigger latch⁴ to travel along body to compress biasing means⁵. Trigger latch⁴ and axle⁷ may be independent of attachment end³ perpendicularly intersecting body¹ through longitudinal slots⁶ with axle⁷. Trigger latch⁴ is able to partially rotate, clockwise relative to view, to clear body¹, able to compress biasing means⁵ by moving closer to the body¹ or live end at position where the trigger latch⁴ can partially rotate counter clockwise to engage opening⁸ located 90° of longitudinal slots⁶ at a position where the biasing means⁵ is compressed sufficiently and portion of the trigger latch⁴ extends beyond body¹ and is able to enter an unoccupied opening¹³ below pin shaft² as illustrated in FIG. 15. FIG. 14 is a cross sectional front view showing the concentric arrangement of this embodiment. FIG. 15 shows the device with the biasing means in the compressed position with trigger latch⁴ engaged with a portion of the trigger latch able to enter an unoccupied opening¹³ below pin shaft².

Although this invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the intent and scope of the invention claimed. 

1. The invention described, when used with selectorized weight stack equipment previously described, is compatible with selectorized weight stacks of various dimensions, material, or manufacture that requires a trainee to manually insert a selector pin or pins in vertically arranged slots to secure the resistance selection. A Selectorized Weight Stack Ejecting Pin consisting of at a minimum these three components; When a moveable trigger latch retaining member, manufactured of suitable dimension and material, is able to retain a biasing means in a stored energy position when a pin shaft is inserted into an unoccupied slot of selectorized weight stack and a portion of this trigger latch assembly is able to pass the vertical plane of the selectorized weight stack face and enter any unoccupied selector slot of a separate weight stack plate below the pin shaft affecting the condition of the biasing means if the selectorized weight stack is moved vertically and returned to the resting position. When a pin shaft with one end of suitable dimension and mechanical strength to secure a weight selection of a chosen selectorized weight stack equipment by insertion into any unoccupied selector slot of a weight plate with opposite end of shaft able to retain a biasing means in such a way that prevents biasing means from extending past this end, commonly known as the anchor or dead end. When a biasing means able to provide sufficient stored energy to eject the pin shaft and related assembly when pin shaft is inserted into desired weight plate selection, if not retained by external forces. A biasing means of sufficient dimension able to move freely along pin shaft with one end unable to move past one extreme end of the pin shaft which is the anchor or dead end but able to move freely along the pin shaft from the compressed, stored energy position toward the relaxed position, commonly known as the live end. 